HAWAII ANNOUNCES MEDICAL POT RULES

Last Tuesday, December 19, Hawaii Governor Ben Cayetano (D) approved new
rules regarding medical marijuana. The regulations are the result of a law
passed by the state Legislature and signed by Cayetano this past June. The
rules will take effect on December 28.

Under the new rules, certified patients will be allowed to posses up to
three ounces of marijuana and grow up to seven cannabis plants. Doctors will
be able to get certification for patients who use marijuana for qualifying
"debilitating" medical conditions such as cancer and AIDS.

Growing or possessing marijuana for other than medical purposes will remain
illegal under Hawaiian state law, and all marijuana possession and use
remains illegal under federal laws. According to Ted Sakai, director of
Hawaii's Department of Public Safety, the state is "seeking to resolve the
conflict" with the federal government.

Hawaii is the only state in which the legislature has passed a medicinal
cannabis law. Eight states have passed medical marijuana laws by citizen
initiatives, including California, which passed Proposition 215 in 1996, and
Nevada and Colorado, which passed such laws in last month's election.